Road or farm gate



(Model.)

G. KING.

ROAD OR FARM GATE. No. 372.474. Patented Nov. 1, 1887.

UNTTen STATES ATENT Tricea GIDEON KING, OF EMINENCE, KENTUCKY.

ROAD R FARM GATE.

SPECIFICATION farming' part of Letters Patent No. 372,474, dated November 1, 1887.

Application filed March 21, 1887. Serial No. 231,794.

To @ZZ whom, t may concern:

Be it known that l, GIDEON KING, a citizen of the United States, residing at Eminence, in the county of Henry and State of Kentucky, have invented new and useful Improvements in Road or Farm Gates, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in opening and closing gates by persons while seated in vehicles without dismounting; and the objects of my improvements are to provide, arrange, and combine hinges and levers that will afford an easy and certain motion of the gate, simplicity, economy, and durability. I attain these objects by the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whiel1 Y Figure l is a perspective view of the gate while it is opening, with the improvements attached. Fig. 2 is an enlarged side View of the upper hinge provided with a V-shaped slot, in which a pintle operates. Fig. 3 is an enlarged side view of a forked plate-hinge used for the lower hinge. Fig. 4 is an enlarged side view of the V-slot hinge constructed for a narrow-faced post. Fig. 5 shows the form of a catch for the side posts. Fig. 6 shows the form of a curved perforated metal bar or plate to which the levers are confined.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A metal plate-hinge, D, provided withslots d d', formed at or near right angles to cach other, is confined with screw-bolts to post A above upright (l. A strong metal pin or pintle, b, is inserted in the upper end of said upright, (or it may be suitably shaped and bolted thereon.) It extends upward through said slot d d and an eye in metal bar or plate c, to which the ends of levers ff are confined with bolts. They are also bolted to the ends of brace g, forming asolid lever-frame, which is suspended on hook h, inserted in the top of post A, by a slot-hole'in a metal brace-bar, i, that is bolted to brace g and connects with perforated plate e. Said lever-frameff g has a suitable angle to prevent the ends of the levers getting low enough to interfere with a passing vehicle. Extension-leversjj (with hand-poles It k') are attached to said lever-frame and held to it by stirrups Z Z or bolts.' A brace of timber, m, is

(Model.)

spiked or bolted at top of post A, extending and bolted to small side posts, a 11which the gate opens against and latches on catches p p. These small posts serve also to keep the leverframe in line with the road and hold it secure against the forces of wind and storm. Said catches operate on a bolt as a pivot, and are placed on said posts so as to catch under the top slat, (or its eqnivalent,) which forces the catch downward by weight of the gate as it approaches. The catch is thrown back by the opposite heavier end. An arm is secured below the catch tothe post on which it rests,and an arm is also placed an inch or so above it on the post to prevent too much motion in it.

The lower hinge may be of any kind in use; but when the preferred forked plate-hinge is used the points of the forks are angled Vertr cally an inch from the fork, giving space for the hook to operate and bar z to rest in. One end of said bar is confined to the inside of o'ne angle or vertical by a loose rivet, on which it turns up or down,and rests of its own weight on the opposite fork, inside theangle or vertical just back of the hook. Thus it holds the forked hinge securely astraddle of the hook. Then the loose end of said bar is raised erect, the gate can be moved oft' and on the hook at pleasure. Said bar also prevents stock or other forces from lifting the gate olf the hook. The weight ot' the gate is upon the forked hinge, (that is bolted to upright C, or any other hinge that may be used in its stead,) which operates and rests on the shoulders of the said hinge-hook.

For the heavier class of gates a small slope, e, is made on the hinge-plate D over the vertex formed by slots d d, as seen in Fig. 2, for bar or plate e to drop into when the gate is closed. The weight of the lever=frameff g holds it firmly in this depression when the gate is used without the levers. Said bar or plate c is rounded or so shaped on the under side as to slide up the slope when the lever is used. Leversjj are made long or short to suit the width of the gate. Vhen thus constructed, the gate is operated by pulling down one of the poles it' 7J, attached by hooks to the ends of leversjj. The pintle b is thus moved away from the vertex of slots d d@ and from the operator to the opposite point of the slot,

ICO

at the same time elevating the front of the gate and lifting the latch out of catch r on post B. The gate then opens of its own Weight and latches atp orp, Where it is held open while the vehicle or traveler passes through. Then pulling down the opposite hand-pole said pintle is thrown back to said vertex,elevating the front of the gate, as before. It closes of its own Weight-,latching at r, and acts likewise as often as the operation is repeated.

These improvements can be applied to any ordinary swinging gate made of Wood, metal, or both, and can be attached to a tree as well as to a post. Y

I am aware that-prior to my invention levers of many shapes and forms have been used; but I know of none that works in a lever-frame, as described in this specification.

WhatI claim as my invention, and desire to" secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the hinge-post, the

triangular leverfrainef f g, suspended therefrom by the brace-bar t, and having a perforated metal strengthening-plate, e, at its depending angle, hinge-plate D, attached to the post and formed with a V'shaped slot, d d,

GIDEON KING.

Witnesses:

R. L. TINsLEY, J. M. BERRY. 

